It's the day one of the New Orleans Saints' biggest fans has been waiting for.

Jarrius "Little JJ" Robertson went into surgery Sunday morning for his long-awaited liver transplant. His father, Jordy Robertson, said JJ would be in surgery for about eight to 10 hours.

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Family members asked fans on Facebook to keep JJ and the donor family in their prayers. JJ's family posted a photo of him on Saturday as they waited for the procedure to begin.

In an update after 1 p.m., his family said, "Surgery went GREAT."

"JJ is resting now with a NEW, working liver. We will see him in a few hours. Next few days of monitoring are big," Jordy said on Twitter.

JJ was born on March 26, 2002. He was diagnosed several weeks later with biliary atresia, a life-threatening disease of the liver and bile ducts, his "It Takes Lives to Save Lives" website says.

The Saints fan underwent several surgeries in the first phase of his life, later receiving a new liver. His website says he experienced complications, including catching pneumonia, his lungs collapsing and being placed on a respirator. At one point, he was placed in a medically induced coma at Children's Hospital, leaving him unconscious for almost a year, his family said.

JJ's family made the decision to remove the respirator because they didn't want to see him suffer any longer. Doctors removed the respirator, but JJ soon began breathing on his own.